2 . Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro talks about sports like a professional host in a show called Sliders & Curveballs. The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut is a natural at sports talk and has been broadcasting the show—which is about baseball, basketball and other sports—with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.
The D’Avirro started the broadcast after two former college roommates of Mike died, which made Mike want to spend more time with his son. Then the idea came to him. So far, they have done about 50 programs. Joseph’s favorite is when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the coach leading the Connecticut Huskies to three national titles. They have also interviewed important sports authors.
The father and son make about one 30- to 40-minute podcast each month. They prepare for the podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half. Joseph reads his questions again and again to get them in his brain well. It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “a lot more fun than homework”. Joseph has also learned to speak up and speak clearly. He has to listen and to go with the flow of the conversation. For example, he said, “If the guest is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”
When asked how long he and his dad will continue doing the show, he answered, “Until my dad starts growing gray hairs.” Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up—to be a sports player, a sports broadcaster or to own a basketball team. Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.
1. What is Joseph’s show about?A.Some talk shows on sports. |
B.Ways to get along with parents. |
C.Stories about famous sports players. |
D.Sports that his family loves playing. |
A.His son’s talent for sports. |
B.His wish to be a host since college. |
C.The deaths of his college roommates. |
D.The encouragement from his roommates. |
A.It’s as boring as homework. |
B.It’s challenging to his brain. |
C.It takes a lot of time but means a lot. |
D.It’s more interesting than homework. |
A.A rising sports broadcaster |
B.A long road to go to success |
C.The father-and-son team hosts |
D.Joseph D’Avirro’s big dream |
3 . The Best Writing Contests of 2024
Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest
The Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest, an annual contest, is designed to highlight Kentucky’s rich literary talent and celebrate the best in short fiction written by Kentuckians or about our beloved Bluegrass State.
Top prize Best entry: $500
Entry requirements
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2024/2/4/3425868622233600/3436387726983168/STEM/e343c37094874500ae4dc623c9bc109e.png?resizew=23)
Deadline March 31, 2024
Fiction Factory Flash Fiction
This is an international competition—we welcome entries from around the world. Maximum word count: 1,000, Stories may be on any theme. Entries must be previously unpublished. Results will be announced by April 2024. Minimum age: 16 years. Children’s compositions cannot be accepted sadly.
Top prize Best entry: £500
Entry requirements
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2024/2/4/3425868622233600/3436387726983168/STEM/e343c37094874500ae4dc623c9bc109e.png?resizew=23)
Deadline March 31, 2024
Journalism Competition 2024
What are the most important issues taking place close to home? Perhaps a rare bird sighting near your town? Or a band of young people in your province fighting for access to higher education? This month, involve yourself in a newsworthy event inside the borders of your own country, and invite us there through your written reporting.
Top prize Best entry: $100
Entry requirements
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2024/2/4/3425868622233600/3436387726983168/STEM/e343c37094874500ae4dc623c9bc109e.png?resizew=23)
Deadline July 22, 2024
Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024
“Poetry lays the foundations for a future of change,” wrote Audre Lorde. This month, sow your own seeds of change into poetry, or else write and perform an original piece of spoken word(poetry performed aloud). We’ll award two top prizes-one for a written poem, and one for a recorded performance.
Top prize Best entry: $100
Entry requirements
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2024/2/4/3425868622233600/3436387726983168/STEM/e343c37094874500ae4dc623c9bc109e.png?resizew=23)
Deadline May 27, 2024
1. Which contest accepts entries both at home and abroad?
A.Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest. | B.Fiction Factory Flash Fiction. |
C.Journalism Competition 2024. | D.Poetry&-Spoken Word Competition 2024. |
A.It offers two first prizes. | B.It only requests written compositions. |
C.It provides the highest awards. | D.It inspires students to perform actively. |
A.To compare some writing contests. | B.To recommend good writing contests. |
C.To share tips on winning writing contests. | D.To remind students to enter writing contests. |
4 . For more culture coverage and the new streaming services, www. vulture. com has prepared a wide range of funny things to see, hear, watch, and read.
TV: The Crown (Season Six)
Netflix, November 16.
The final season of The Crown is being divided into two parts, with four episodes on show before Thanksgiving and the remaining six landing on December 14. And, yes, those initial episodes will address the death of Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, a talented Australian actress.
OPERA: Later the Same Evening
Juilliard Opera presents. Peter Jay Sharp Theater, November 12, 15, and 17.
Composer John Musto and play writer Mark Campbell turned those moody scenes into a one-act opera that’s become a student favorite but rarely gets seen on a greater stage. It would be a once in a life time chance to have a feast for eyes.
MOVIES: Fallen Leaves
In theaters, November 17.
Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, a master of deadpan, returns with what might be his most romantic film so far — an unexpected meet up of an alcoholic construction worker and a headstrong supermarket employee.
MUSIC: Heaven Knows
Warner Records UK, November 10.
Pink Pantheress, 22, combines R&B, pop, and electronic music into relaxing but impactful tracks like “Do You Miss Me?” from December’s Take Me Home EP. This fall, her first complete studio-recorded album, consisting of 13 songs, will be released. Early tastes of Heaven Knows like “Capable of Love” and “Mosquito” suggest that we’re in for tighter hooks and longer, more ambitious compositions.
1. Which will attract those who enjoy Elizabeth Debicki’s performance?A.Mosquito. | B.Malarkoi. |
C.The Crown. | D.Fallen Leaves. |
A.They are coming into market in November. |
B.The works can be enjoyed once in a life time. |
C.More details can be accessible from newspaper. |
D.They are the works by the world-famous artists. |
A.It is produced by Netflix. |
B.It is divided into two parts. |
C.It’ll be released on Nov.17. |
D.It is her first full studio album. |
5 . David lost his beloved dog Baya before Christmas two years ago. Baya was active and cute. David’s family spent many days
Two years later, a homeless dog
Obviously, Baya is
A.preparing | B.searching | C.paying | D.begging |
A.calls | B.honor | C.gifts | D.rescue |
A.fruitless | B.generous | C.worthwhile | D.different |
A.advantage | B.challenge | C.decision | D.hope |
A.continued | B.appeared | C.hid | D.returned |
A.sent | B.forced | C.followed | D.invited |
A.refer to | B.rely on | C.track down | D.cheer for |
A.appreciated | B.impressed | C.recognized | D.contacted |
A.frightened | B.excited | C.confident | D.curious |
A.addicted | B.related | C.adapted | D.reduced |
A.aware | B.uncertain | C.afraid | D.proud |
A.native | B.self | C.partner | D.owner |
A.calm | B.average | C.pretty | D.active |
A.care | B.notice | C.control | D.advantage |
A.removing | B.identifying | C.recovering | D.reserving |
I am Denise Clarice, the only one in my class who does not have a pet. No dog waits for me at the bus stop. No cat sits beside me while I read. I don’t even have a tiny, furry hamster (仓鼠) to hold in my hand. But I don’t feel sorry. Why?
The rule about no pets at our house is not because I am too young to have pets, because I am 1l years old. Besides, I am very responsible. I always return library books on time and I do my homework every day, even when I would rather play in the grass. The rule about no pets is because of Kevin. He is my little brother and he is sensitive to pets, which make him sneeze (打喷嚏).
One day, when I was walking home from school, I heard a soft little sound from behind a garbage. I stopped and listened. There it was. I heard the sound again. I walked quietly up the driveway and looked behind the garbage. A tiny ball of gray fur looked up at me and said, “Meow.” Before I knew it, I was holding the cat. Before I knew it, I was walking toward home, holding the cat in my arms. She must be lost. “Finders keepers,” I thought.
I took the cat upstairs to my room. We played with a ball, and she jumped high to catch the ball. I was excited that I made a comfortable little bed for her in a box with a small blanket and gave her milk to drink. Soon, my mother called me to dinner.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Not long after I sat down at the table, Kevin started sneezing.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the end, I had to return the cat.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty was a man who had with great ambition. When he was young, he had a good friend
One day, when they were sleeping. Zu Ti heard the rooster crowing (鸡鸣) . He woke up Liu Kun and said, “How about
The idiom “to rise with the rooster” teaches us that with ambition and hard work,
8 . When it comes to settling down young children, parenting advice focuses mostly on one tool: What to say. Parents are taught to say this or that, or even how to apologize to an angry child. While in practice, many parents turn to another means of comforting: Touch their child. But it’s not just any type of touch. It occurs at a particular speed and with a particular pressure.
During the end of the 19th century, many European doctors actually advised parents not to touch their children because they said it would weaken them and make them dependent. This idea hit a fever height in the 1920s when the psychologist John B. Watson wrote a parenting book in which Watson advises mothers to stay away, physically, from children. He believed that by not touching young children, parents teach them to be independent at an early age.
“But then it turns out that the opposite is actually true,” Neuroscientist Helena Wasling says. “Children who get a lot of touch, support and closeness from their parents are actually the ones that dare to go out and explore, as they grow up, because they have a basic safety that they can depend on.” And of course, gentle touch can calm and relax adults, just as much as they do children, says Wasling.
After decades of research, neuroscientists are beginning to understand how our skin senses this type of touch and how that feeling lights up regions of the brain to affect our emotions. It turns out that our skin contains nerves (神经) which can sense a gentle touch. And these nerves are part of a system inside our skin that excites the warm, calm and peaceful feeling you have when you’re with people who love you. For some kids with autism (自闭症), this type of touch might not feel good, Wasling notes, and may even feel bad. “A child with autism may become over-sensitive towards physical touch.” she says. “The relationship between touch and reward (奖励) can be totally different.”
1. What was believed about parental touch according to paragraph 2?A.It weakened kids’ intelligence. | B.It harmed kids’ physical health. |
C.It reduced kids’ independence. | D.It hurt parent-child relationship. |
A.They may be more sensitive. | B.They tend to become braver. |
C.They may be more protective. | D.They tend to become smarter. |
A.The benefit of touch does not apply to every kid. |
B.The amount of touch does not matter to kids. |
C.Kids with autism might be more independent. |
D.Kids with autism should be rewarded with touch. |
A.An Effective Method to Educate Kids |
B.The Magical Effect of Touching Children |
C.The Importance of Parenting Strategies |
D.A New Research into Social Interaction |
9 . Walk and dance on the ceilings, sit in a bathroom with an upside-down toilet, grab a chair in the home office, and traverse the entry way, sitting-room, bedroom, kitchen and more. Come on down, upside-down, to House Down Under, Australia’s first inverted house photo experience!
This hugely successful, unique and exciting attraction is back just in time for the school holidays at Rouse Hill Town Centre in Western Sydney. It is a must-see, family-friendly, fun experience with a range of installations and activities inside a completely inverted house.
Visitors can spend as much time as they like inside the house, so they can take their time perfecting poses and taking as many photos as they like. House Down Under staff are always on hand in the house,offering advice, tips on best photo ops and to snap pictures of the whole group.
House Down Under is open from 1 April and opening hours can be found at the end of this article or on the official website. The building is located between the Metro and the Town Centre at Market Square, Rouse Hill Town Centre and you won't be able to miss it.
Rouse Hill Town Centre is also a great place for families with a variety of entertainment and food options, so make it a day out and enjoy everything on offer.
Entry tickets to House Down Under are $27 for an adult; $19 for a child;$23 for a concession (优惠), with family passes ranging from $52-$74 for a family of four. For further information on House Down Under, visit the website, www. house downunder.com.au.OPEN DAILY-Weekdays 9 am to 6 pm; Weekends 10 am to 6 pm.
1. What is special about House Down Under?A.It is conveniently located. |
B.All staff are properly trained. |
C.All things are upside-down in it. |
D.It supplies flexible food options. |
A.Take pictures at will. |
B.Enjoy a shopping trip. |
C.Have a family party. |
D.Visit its occupants. |
A.$23. | B.$27. | C.$52. | D.$74. |
Xi’an, capital city of Shaanxi, served as the capital of 13 dynasties in Chinese history, which in total
People call Shaanxi History Museum “Bright Pearl in Ancient Capital and Precious Treasure of China”, for it is an art palace
The basic halls in the museum are divided into three exhibition halls
While